Long-awaited link road moving towards reality

The green light has been given to a new link road aimed at easing congestion and opening up land for housing.

South Ribble Council has granted planning permission for a residential development at the former Lostock Hall Gas Works site, owned by National Grid. As part of the development agreement, a link road will be built across the site.

Work on the link road between The Cawsey, off Leyland Road, Penwortham, and Carrwood Road, Walton-le-Dale is set to begin in early 2015.

The road is designed to ease congestion through Lostock Hall and open up access to the A6 and major motorway networks. It will also create a link to the Capitol Centre retail park.

Councillor Cliff Hughes said: “I’m pleased that after decades of waiting we’ve cleared such a significant hurdle in this local development.

“We have an obligation to meet our housing targets across the borough, and this development will provide much needed housing and transportation links, whilst boosting the economy. “However, as part of that we recognise how vital it is to protect the rural nature of South Ribble, which is why we announced the creation of the new Central Park last month.”

Scott Lewis, project manager at National Grid said: “We are pleased to see this historic site being brought forward to deliver up to 350 homes for the local area.”

The government has told South Ribble Council that it must find land to build 417 homes per year up to 2026. The old Gas Works site, which closed in the 1970s, is set to see the construction of up to 350 homes.

The neighbouring Vernon Carus site is set for 350 to 400 homes.

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